Building Connections with Concentric Circles

Before asking your students to move into two concentric circles, explain that they will introduce themselves and have short paired conversations that respond to questions you will provide. Each student will have 30 seconds to answer a question (or longer if you prefer, as long as both circles have equal time). 

Have the group form two concentric circles facing each other, and explain that after each round, one of the circles will move in a clockwise direction so that everyone is with a new partner for the next round. Students should start each round by introducing themselves to each other and end each round by thanking their partners. 

After one time around the circle, you can challenge your students to start the next loop by saying, “Hi, ______ (name)” if they remember the name of the individual across the circle from them. Alternatively, you can mix them up and create two new circles so they meet with some new students for the second round. Repeat the process until you run out of questions or are ready to move to the next activity.

Choose from the following set of questions, or create your own. Then project or say one question per round. 

• Who was your childhood favorite character from a book, show, or film, and why? 

• What makes you laugh? 
• If you could run the school cafeteria for a week, what would you serve? 
• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
• If you could be a character in a movie—any kind of movie—who would you be, and why? 
• What is something that you would like to learn how to do? 
• If you could only eat one meal or food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
• What’s the nicest thing anyone has done for you? 
• If you could visit any time in history, when would it be? 
• What would you do with your Saturday if the Internet went down (everywhere) for 24 hours? 
• Where do you see yourself in five years?

Have students return to their seats and discuss the following questions as a class: 

• What did you like about the activity? What did you dislike?
• Did you discover something surprising about your classmates?
• Did you discover something you have in common with your classmates?

Give students the opportunity to brainstorm new questions to ask their classmates. This can be done independently, in groups, or for homework. Have students submit questions to you and incorporate them into your daily warm-ups as students get to know one another and you cultivate a classroom community.